zeldasayre's review against another edition
4.0
A very intense and sad but interesting story filled with pain, grief, and just a little bit of magic. I thoroughly enjoyed this though I wish the ending would have wrapped up several of the plot lines.
jenbsbooks's review
4.0
I liked this a lot and I'm grateful for the Kindle Unlimited program as it's introduced me to a lot of authors and stories that I might not have tried/had access to at my local library.
As I read mostly sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal/apocalyptic types, I think I tend to group my "women's/contemporary/realistic" novels together in my head. This reminded me of The Great Alone and Where the Crawdad's Sing. Showcasing a woman and her trials through life. The talk of Emmie and her empathy with animals reminded me quite a bit of The Wake Up which had a similar theme.
Alex and her history is the main mystery, we (the reader) are slowly given background information and flashbacks to fill us in. There is also a back story for Emmie, and a little for Maggie too. We get to know and care about the characters.
We also learn a lot about whales ;)
I really enjoyed this read. I listen whenever I can multi-task, and I'd find myself doing things that would let me listen so I could continue on with the story. At one point, I was almost in tears. As it ended, I had that little "ahhh" sign of contented completion.
Parental Perspective - the characters are all older, this isn't a YA read. There is language, some sex.
As I read mostly sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal/apocalyptic types, I think I tend to group my "women's/contemporary/realistic" novels together in my head. This reminded me of The Great Alone and Where the Crawdad's Sing. Showcasing a woman and her trials through life. The talk of Emmie and her empathy with animals reminded me quite a bit of The Wake Up which had a similar theme.
Alex and her history is the main mystery, we (the reader) are slowly given background information and flashbacks to fill us in. There is also a back story for Emmie, and a little for Maggie too. We get to know and care about the characters.
We also learn a lot about whales ;)
I really enjoyed this read. I listen whenever I can multi-task, and I'd find myself doing things that would let me listen so I could continue on with the story. At one point, I was almost in tears. As it ended, I had that little "ahhh" sign of contented completion.
Parental Perspective - the characters are all older, this isn't a YA read. There is language, some sex.
sunshine_ghost's review
2.0
The author has a nice writing style but I gave up at the 50% mark… absolutely nothing has happened! Flashback after flashback after expository flashback. The plot would creep forward one iota and then another long flashback would occur. I mean great for character development but to what end?? Forward movement is needed to justify those long flashback sections and I just don’t have it in me to press on. What a shame.
spelton27's review against another edition
4.0
Orcas and domestic violence is not a combination I would have ever pictured together. The Music of the Deep does an interesting job of pairing the two together to tell the story of the silent. I was a bit confused with the timeline jumps as I didn’t really get the significance of it until the very end and how the past potentially mirrored protagonist Alex’s life and how things could have ended differently. All in all the story did a great job of depicting domestic violence and the ptsd that comes with it.
leahkc's review against another edition
4.0
Such a good book. Great storyline that really captures you. I didn’t want to put it down. Would definitely recommend
lberestecki's review against another edition
2.0
Received from NetGalley in exchange for review.
This book was fine. It definitely had promise, and I think Hall is a good writer, but the story itself fell flat for me. Things worked out too nicely and too easily, and the culmination of the main plot felt very rushed. I also thought that the different character's plotlines didn't add much to the book, and that Hall would've been better served by focusing on one character's story. The transitions between the plots were also rather jarring at times.
This book was fine. It definitely had promise, and I think Hall is a good writer, but the story itself fell flat for me. Things worked out too nicely and too easily, and the culmination of the main plot felt very rushed. I also thought that the different character's plotlines didn't add much to the book, and that Hall would've been better served by focusing on one character's story. The transitions between the plots were also rather jarring at times.
katiekaiser's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
This is a well-written story and definitely interesting. HOWEVER, this book is not a mystery. Sure, there are a lot of unanswered questions, but the book is about the characters and their pasts. This novel does not offer a mystery that needs to be solved and therefore I would consider it fiction. With that in mind, this book was a very good example of fiction. It had gorgeous writing but sometimes descriptions could go on for a little too long. I found myself hoping for it to end at some points. Definitely worth the read, but check content warnings!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
tiffanyreadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first I have read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The mysteries surrounding the area and the people there were just enough to keep you going.
I voluntary read an advanced copy from Netgalley.
I voluntary read an advanced copy from Netgalley.
lizzie_bobbins's review against another edition
4.0
This isn't the sort of book I normally go for, but I'm very glad I did. It's a very difficult story to read in places and anyone who would feel triggered by descriptions of domestic violence should probably avoid it.